MOTOR-CAR ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3085, 16 May 1917, Page 6

MOTOR-CAR ACCIDENT

DASHES OVER. A BANK. Particulars have been gleaned concerning a serious motor-car accident which took place on the Paekakariki Hill on Sunday last. The car was driven by,a Mr. M'Dermott, a.farmer, nf Hulls, who was coming down to Wellington, accompanied by his wife and daughter and n party of friends. The car got out of contVol on the Paekakariki Hill, and dashed over the side of the road and down the steep bank below —a, distance of about 300 feet. Mrs. M'Dermott sustained a broken nose, and is suffering from a severe shock to her nervous (system. She was taken to the Thorndon Private Hospital. Mrs. Middlcmiss was also badly shaken and bruised, and went down to tho Thorndon Private Hospital for treatment yesterday.

"The cause of the. accident," said Mr. M'Dermott to a- reporter, "was that I was too long in changing from second into low gear. were barely crawling rip the hill at the time, so I decided to change, into low gear. When I endeavoured to do this the car stopped, and before I could . apply either break we were going backward over the side of tho road. I can assure yon that the experience of ping backwards a couple of hundred feet through space is an experience T never want to have agai»_ in my life." Mr. M'Dermott's son-in-law (Mr. Caley) received his injuries in rather a remarkable fashion. He was standing in the ear ju*t before it went over, and the backward nisli threw him on to the road. He broke a small bono in his leg. Those who went over with the car were Mr. and Mrs. M'Derinotfc and tlieir daughter (Mrs. Middlemiss). The car was, strange to say, not badly damaged, and was got back on the road yesterday.